


Remus' Weasley Sweater

by SpartFarkles



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Death, Gen, mostly canon compliant I think, partially pre-war, post-Sirius death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-27
Updated: 2014-08-27
Packaged: 2018-02-15 00:00:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2207943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpartFarkles/pseuds/SpartFarkles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus gets a Christmas gift he doesn't deserve, but by god if he doesn't want it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Remus' Weasley Sweater

**Author's Note:**

> This was written after I thought-dumped on a friend of mine on skype. She wanted a more polished version, so here we go.

Remus spends Christmas with the Order. And by the Order, he means the Weasleys. There are other people here and there, but it’s mostly him, the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione. Tonks is there for a little while, but she leaves shortly after giving Harry a present and glaring at Remus, which he supposes he deserves.

It’s rare for Remus to have time to himself like this, not that he actively minds. It’s nice to feel needed. But he can’t deny that sitting at the table while Harry, Ron, and Hermione chatter away happily is nice. It feels almost normal.

Molly announces that it’s time for gifts. She passes out wrapped packages that can only be her famous jumpers. She goes around the table, trying to figure out which package goes to who. Remus can’t help but smile a little as he sips at his tea. Even while this dreaded War is going on, Molly still finds time to make sure her family gets their usual gift. He looks up at Molly when she suddenly stops by him and tries to hand him one of the bundles.

He protests, but Molly says that she’s already made it and it would be rude of him not to accept. He takes the bundle sheepishly and says thank you. Molly brushes him off in her usual manner and tells him that he’s practically family now anyway, what with Harry and all. It’s so casual that it shocks Remus for a moment. All the same, he sets down his mug to open the bundle. He pulls out a chocolate brown sweater with a gold “R” on the front, and he’ll be damned if it’s not the softest jumper he’s ever held. His fingers tighten around it and his eyes start to sting with the threat of tears, but he manages a polite smile and a thank you.

It’s more than he deserves. So much more. He didn’t deserve the rich breakfast and the warm tea, he doesn’t deserve the smiles that everyone gives him, Harry especially. He doesn’t deserve to be a part of any family, especially not the kind that get sweaters every Christmas. He doesn’t deserve any of this because he was the one to survive when all of his friends died, and what does he have to show for it? He doesn’t deserve it, but the selfish part of it craves it so much it nearly hurts.

Which is why he even allows himself to scoot back from the table and pull the jumper on over his too-thin, too-worn shirt. It’s the first real Christmas present he’s hand in a very long time, and it’s possibly the warmest thing he’s worn since his days at Hogwarts, and he can’t help but smile a little. He always seems too cold these days, and this will help a lot. He doesn’t miss the smile that Harry beams his way, and Remus starts to feel his resolve melt a little. Maybe it would be okay to open up. Maybe it would be okay for him to have a family, especially one that included the son of his best friends. Maybe it would even be okay to talk to Tonks again, let her in a little more. He takes his cup of tea and resolves to think about it a little more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remus hears the call to arms from the Longbottom boy, and realizes what he has to do. He looks at his family, the one he finally let it, and realizes that for them to have the best chance, he has to fight. He realizes that by fighting, he’ll likely die.

It’s not the realization that startles him- it’s the fact that he doesn’t really mind. It does hurt him that he’ll not be there for his new baby son, but Teddy will have Tonks and her family, as well as Harry and all of the Weasleys. He hopes his son will understand why Remus has to go fight.

The fighting has already begun when he gets there, and he sees so many young faces, younger than James and Lily had been when they met their end. He fights for them, for all of the first Order that died, but he also fights for Harry and for Teddy and for the young children who still have hope in their hearts and their whole lives ahead of them. 

He’s fighting a losing battle when he sees his wife run towards him. As mad as he is that she came, he feels some comfort in knowing that his final moments will be with her. He can’t help but think about that jumper he got from Molly, and how that small gift had made this final stand possible. That small gift had made him open his heart again. It gave him courage when he was lacking and love when he needed it, and now he was fighting with that courage for the people he loves.

He realizes that his final moments will be with his wife, fighting for Harry and for Teddy. And when that final moment comes, he feels almost peaceful. He knows he’s finally done right by his dear friends, and that he’ll be with them again soon.


End file.
